//Mid-20th Century
  • 1st edition, limited to 52 copies of which 7 copies on Japon paper (№ 1-7) and 45 copies on Rives paper (№ 8-52); printed by Maurice Daratiere; this copy is № 50. “Ladies only” – a pictorial album, unbound, printed by Maurice Darantiere, with 15 black and white lithographs by Edouard Duchâtel (French, 19th-20th century) after drawings by Marcel Vertès on cream wove paper 38 x 28 cm; French flapped wrappers, with the lithographed manuscript title “Dames seules” in a grey clamshell box 40 x 30 cm; printed by Maurice Darantiere,  title with vignette pasted to box cover, one image on a double sheet; all illustrations with tissue guards. Bookplate “From the Library of | Vance Gerry | The Weather Bird Press | pasted inside the box cover (see Vance Gerry and The Weather Bird Press). Provenance: Vance Bryden Gerry (American, 1929 – 2005) Contributors: Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Francis Carco [François Carcopino-Tusoli] (French, 1886 – 1958) – author. Edouard Duchâtel (French, 19th-20th century) – artist, lithographer. Maurice Darantiere (French, 1882 – 1962) – printer. Louis Godefroy (French, 1885 – 1934) – publisher. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
  • In-folio illustrated book, unbound, with sheets 38 x 28 cm in a red double slipcase (40 x 29 cm) with gilt lettering to the spine of the folder. Pagination: [1-8] 9-154 [5] in French flapped wrappers; 30 full-page lithographs. Title-page: PAUL VERLAINE | Parallèlement (ms, in crimson) | Lithographes originales | de | VERTÈS | EDITIONS VIALETAY | 1954 || Edition limited to 99 copies of which 12 copies on Japon nacré (№ 1-12); 25 on Rives (№ 13-37) enriched; 62 on Rives; and 20 (№ I-XX) “Exempliare d’Artiste”. This copy is printed on BFK Rives paper, marked as “Exempliare d’Artiste” and pencil-signed presumably by Vertés and Jacques Vialetay, however, the number is missing. Contributors: Paul Verlaine (French, 1844 – 1896) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Jacques Vialetay (French, 20th century) – publisher Edmond & Jacques Desjobert, René Jeanne, Pierre Gaudin – printers. Henri Jonquières – mis en page. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
  • Title-page: GRAHAM GREENE | — | A Burnt Out Case | {publisher's device} | HEINEMANN | LONDON MELBURNE TORONTO || Black buckram with silver lettering to spine, green pictorial dust jacket, unclipped (16s | NET), [2] h.t. / books by GG, [2] t.p. / copyright, [2] quotations / blank, [2] dedication to Doctor Michel Lechat; [1, 2] d.t.p. Part I / blank, 3-256. Total 264 pages. Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd. Printer: Windmill Press Ltd., Kingswood, Surrey. Copyright: © Graham Greene 1960, 1961. Wrapper design: Lacey Everett. Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991) William Henry Heinemann (Jewish-British, 1863 – 1920) Michel Lechat (Belgian, 1927 – 2014)
  • Title-page: A SORT OF LIFE | — | Graham Greene | — | {publisher’s device} | THE BODLEY HEAD | LONDON SYDNEY | TORONTO || Green publisher’s cloth with silver lettering to spine, aubergine dust jacket, lettered on front and spine, designed by Michael Harvey, unclipped (£1.80 NET | IN U.K. ONLY), [1-8] 9-215 [216] + 2 blank leaves. © Graham Greene 1971. Printed by: William Clowes & Sons Ltd. (Beccles). Graham Greene (British, 1904 – 1991).
  • Title-page (in red and black): TALES AND NOVELS | OF | J. DE LA FONTAINE | WITH 12 ORIGINAL ETCHINGS | BY | CLARA TICE | VOLUME ONE (TWO) | {arabesque} | PRIVATELY PRINTED | AT THE PRINTING HOUSE OF G. J. THIEME | NIJMEGEN ~ HOLLAND | 1929 || Collation: 8vo. Vol. 1: π8 (2 blanks, h.t. / limitation №103 of 990, frontispiece etched portrait of La Fontaine w/ tissue guard, 4 leaves uncut with table and preface), 1—138, incl. 2 final blanks, paginated: xvi, 204 [4], plus 5 etchings besides frontis., all with tissue guards, by Clara Tice, in sepia. Vol. 2: π8, 1-188, paginated: xvi, 270 [271] epitaph, [272] blank, plus 6 etchings w/ tissue guards, by Clara Tice. Binding: 25.3 x 16.8 cm, quarter faux parchment over light blue publisher's boards, gilt lettering to spine. Ticket to front pastedown in each volume: “FROM THE COLLECTION | OF PRINCETON ANTIQUES BOOKFINDERS”, etc.  Etchings printed on wove paper, text – on laid paper; untrimmed, uncut. Edition: limited, privately printed run of 990 copies of which this is №103.
  • Title: Chansons | de Salles de Garde | {vignette} | Internat { À l’Enseigne des Trois Orfèvres } Quartier Latin || Collation: 21 leaves folded in half (84 pages), unpaginated, unbound, plus 40 plates (two-tone lithography) for 40 songs, in a flapped paper folder, in a green cardstock folder (slipcase without top and bottom?) with gilt diaper ornament. Text, music score, and drawings printed in brick red. Size: 28 x 22.5 cm. Edition: limited to 700 copies of which 100 (№ 1-100) on Vélin Arches, 650 (№ 101-650) on Vélin Spécial, and 50 without numbering marked “Exemplaire d’interne” on Vélin Supérieur. This copy is № 27. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel 1920 – 1970: 1192.
  • Description: French flapped wrappers, 27 x 20.5 cm, 134 gatherings, plus two leaves (blank, h.t. / limitation) at the beginning (54 leaves total), the first and the last two leaves blank, two pages in each of 12 gatherings (24 total) are hand-painted photogravures after etchings by an anonymous artist, attributed to Santippa, pseudonym of Georges or Gaston Hoffmann, or, possibly, of André Collot; the gatherings are unbound, pp. [1-10] 11-99 [100] [8] (108 pages total). Title-page: ÉPICES | REFLEXIONS | sur quelques à-côtés de l'amour | destinées à des personnes | expérimentées | ILLUSTREES | DE | VINGT-QUATRE PLANCHES | HORS-TEXTE | COLORIÉES A LA MAIN | {vignette} | ÉDITÉ | POUR UN GROUPE DE BIBLIOPHILES || Edition: limited to 500 copies numbered from 1 to 480 + 20 hand-numbered with Roman numbers. This is copy № 273. Enrichment: one original sketch (for Coucou… ou l’erreur de porte), one etching before letters and the same after letters and coloured (Le petit coin tranquille.. 19/20), and a full suite of 24 original etchings in sepia on cream paper, 20 of them on Arches and 4 on BFK Rives) printed for the first 17 copies of the 1950 edition (55 copies were printed then). In addition: one graphite pencil sketch which is not part of the suite. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel 1920 – 1970: № 1490 (for 1950), № 1491 (for 1955).  
  • Title-page: MARCEL AYMÉ | IMAGES DE L'AMOUR | Lithographies | originales | de | Vertès (fac-simile ms) | ÉDITIONS GEORGES GUILLOT | 39 rue de Paradis à Paris || French flapped wrapper in a natural canvas double slipcase with gilt lettering to spine, 34.8 x 27.3 cm. Leaves 33 x 25.5 cm, 4 blanks at the beginning, to the second pair of leaves pasted two autograph letters signed by Marcel Aymé; [1-8] 9-119 [120] [6], last leaf blank, h.t. with inscription "En sincère hommage" signed by both Marcel Aymé and Marcel Vertès; 9 full-page chromolithographs, 6 headpieces and 2 tailpieces by Marcel Vertès, tissue-guards; in-4to, unbound. Printed on October 20, 1957. The edition is limited to 190 copies + 25 not for sale, this is copy № 1, printed on Japon Nacré paper and enriched with three additional suites of lithographs: one on  Japon Nacré, one on Japon ancien, one on Hollande, plus a set of decomposition of one chromolithograph; lacking three original drawings. Contributors: Marcel Aymé (French, 1902 – 1967) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Georges Guillot – publisher. Andrée Koch – designer. Fequet et Baudier – printers, typography. Edmond et Jacques Desjobert – lithographers. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
  • Title-page: COLETTE | L'INGÉNUE | LIBERTINE | ILLUSTRÉ DE VINGT POINTES SÈCHES ORIGINALES EN COULEURS | DE P.-E. BÉCAT | GEORGES GUILLOT, ÉDITEUR | 7, RUE PERRONET | PARIS (VIIe) || French flapped wrapper in a blue double slipcase with dark blue and gilt lettering to spine, 29.5 x 24 x 8 cm, in-folio, leaves 28.5 x 22.5 cm, unbound, with 20 coloured drypoint engravings, with tissue-guards, with 77 initials and tailpieces by Marie Monnier. Limited edition of 420 copies, of which this is copy № XXVII, one of 45 copies marked with Roman numbers and reserved for the artist and collaborators. Printed on November 1st, 1947. Pagination: [16] 1-215 [216] [6], 238 pages (119 leaves) total, incl. plates. Moderate foxing. Contributors: Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette [a.k.a. Colette] (French, 1873 – 1954) Paul-Émile Bécat (French, 1885 – 1960) Marie Monnier (French, 1894 – 1976) Solange et Georges Guillot – publishers. Georges Girard – printer, typography. Manuel Robbe – printer, drypoint engravings.
  • (1) Claudine à l'école: 1st blank and limitation leaves uncut, t.p. / blank ; [1-6] 7-206 [2], colophon "IMPRIMÉ EN BELGIQUE"; 208 pages (104 leaves) plus 12 plates. COLETTE | Claudine | {vignette} | à l'école | ILLUSTRÉE PAR | RENÉE RINGEL | « Leurs Chefs-d'œuvre » | AUX ÉDITIONS TERRES LATINES || (2) Claudine à Paris: 1st blank and limitation leaves uncut, t.p. / blank ; [1-6] 7-153 [3], colophon "IMPRIMÉ EN BELGIQUE"; 156 pages (78 leaves) plus 12 plates. COLETTE | Claudine | {vignette} | à Paris | ILLUSTRÉE PAR | RENÉE RINGEL | « Leurs Chefs-d'œuvre » | AUX ÉDITIONS TERRES LATINES || (3) Claudine en ménage: 1st blank and limitation leaves uncut, t.p. / blank ; [1-6] 7-150 [2], colophon "IMPRIMÉ EN BELGIQUE"; 152 pages (76 leaves) plus 12 plates. COLETTE | Claudine | {vignette} | en ménage | ILLUSTRÉE PAR | RENÉE RINGEL | « Leurs Chefs-d'œuvre » | AUX ÉDITIONS TERRES LATINES || (4) Claudine s'en va: 1st blank and limitation leaves uncut, t.p. / blank ; [1-6] 7-128 [4], colophon "IMPRIMÉ EN BELGIQUE"; 132 pages (66 leaves) plus 12 plates. COLETTE | Claudine | {vignette} | s'en va | ILLUSTRÉE PAR | RENÉE RINGEL | « Leurs Chefs-d'œuvre » | AUX ÉDITIONS TERRES LATINES || Illustrations: in each volume, there are 12 plates extraneous to collation, incl. frontispiece, stencil-coloured (au pochoir) collotype reproductions after drawings by Renée Ringel, and numerous in-text b/w illustrations. Binding: 4 volumes uniformly bound in French flapped pictorial wrappers, spine with lettering and vignette, each in a canvas double slipcase 22 x 17.5 cm, with lettering to spine. Edition: Limited to 1800 copies, of which this is copy № 365, printed by Jean de Clercq, plates printed by Thill, colouring by Ateliers du coloris d’art. Contributors: Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette [a.k.a. Colette] (French, 1873 – 1954) Renée Ringel – nothing is known so far.
  • Title-page: COLETTE | LA | VAGABONDE | LITHOGRAPHIES EN COULEURS | DE MARCEL VERTÈS | PARIS | A LA CITE DES LIVRES |—| M DCCCC XXVII || Binding: French flapped wrappers 28.5 x 22.5 cm, in glassine dustcover, front wrapper lettered similarly to title-page but in red and black: COLETTE | LA | VAGABONDE | LITHOGRAPHIES EN COULEURS | DE MARCEL VERTÈS | PARIS | A LA CITE DES LIVRES |—| M DCCCC XXVII ||, in a red marbled cardboard folder 29 x 23 cm with paper label to spine, slipcase missing. Pagination: [2] 1st leaf blank, [2] h.t. / limitation, [2] t.p. / blank, [2] d.t.p. /blank, [3] 4-277 [278 blank], [4 colophon], ils. Collation: π3 1-354 χ1, plus 15 leaves of plates extraneous to collation, incl. frontispiece, chromolithographs by Marcel Vertès. Edition: Limited edition of 305 copies of which this is № 15 (out of numbers 10-24) printed on Japon Impérial paper with three additional suites of plates in black, sanguine and colour, plus 4 refused plates. Printed on the 15th of September 1927: text by Robert Coulouma (Argenteuil, director H. Barthélemy), lithographs by E. Duchatel (Paris) and published by La cité des livres. Missing black versions of LIB-2892.2021-5 and LIB-2892.2021-10 (43 out of 45 prints in place). Refused plates: Plates in black, sanguine, and colour. Contributors: Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette [a.k.a. Colette] (French, 1873 – 1954) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
  • Binding: Pink French flapped wrappers 38.5 x 29 cm, in a frame: LES JEUX | DU DEMI-JOUR | PAR | PIERRE MAC ORLAN | {vignette} | AVEC | DOUZE LITHOGRAPHIES DE | VERTÈS | LES ARTS ET LE LIVRE || Title-page (turquoise and black): LES JEUX | DU DEMI-JOUR | PAR | PIERRE MAC ORLAN | {vignette} | AVEC | DOUZE LITHOGRAPHIES DE | VERTÈS | LES ARTS ET LE LIVRE | 47, RUE LAFFITTE, PARIS | | 1926 || Pagination: [2] blank, [2] h.t. / limitation, [2] t.p. / blank, i-iii [iv] 1-45 [46 blank] [2] table / colophon, [2] blank; total 60 pages, plus 12 plates extraneous to collation, by Marcel Vertès. Edition: text printed by Robert Coulouma in Argenteuil (director H. Barthélemy), lithographs printed by Edouard Duchâtel in Paris, print run of 600 copies, 500 on vélin pur fil Lafuma, this copy on that paper, though unnumbered (№ blank). Contributors: Pierre Mac-Orlan (French, 1882 – 1970) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
  • Binding: Grey double-slipcase 34 x 16.5 cm, pictorial folder, French flapped pictorial wrappers, both folder and wrapper with green ms lettering and vignette in sanguine, green ms lettering to spine. Collation: folio in-4to, two leaves in wrappers at the front and back, π8, 104 [11]2, total 50 leaves, incl. plates. Pagination: [4], [2] h.t. / limitation, [2] blank, [1-3] blank, [4-6] frontis., t.p., blank. 7-86 [2] [4] colophon, 100 pages total. Title-page (sanguine and black): COMPLEXES | 40 | DESSINS DE | Vertès | PREFACE DE | PIERRE MAC ORLAN | ANDRÉ SAURET | ÉDITIONS DU LIVRE ★ MONTE-CARLO || Illustrations: One on the front covers, one on the back one headpiece vignette, 37 plates, incl. frontispiece in colour and three on a double-page (full leaf), and one original pencil drawing. Limitation: 890 copies of which 40 (№ 1-40) signed by the artist and contain one original drawing; this copy is № 27. Edition: published by André Sauret, lithographs after Vertès drawings by Georges Duval, printed by Fernand Mourlot; text printed at “La Ruche” under the direction of A. and P. Jarach. Print run completed on November 9, 1948. Contributors: Pierre Mac-Orlan (French, 1882 – 1970) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. André Sauret (Monaco, fl. 1952 – 1976) – publisher. Other names: Marcel Vertès, Marcel Vertes, Marcell Vértes
  • Title-page: COLETTE WILLY | — | L'ingénue libertine | EAUX-FORTES DE LOUIS ICART | ❧ | ÉDITIONS EXCELSIOR | 27, Quai de la Tournelle | Paris | 1926 || Description: French cream flapped wrappers 33.5 x 26 cm with gilt lettering to front and spine, printed on wove paper (Japon Impérial), [2] blank, [1-4] h.t. / limitation, t.p. / citations, 5-191 [3] colophon, plus 20 plates of coloured etchings and 20 plates of b/w etchings, incl. frontispiece. Edition enriched with an autograph letter signed by Colette tipped in after limitation. Edition: limited to 546 copies of which one (№ UN) is unique, printed on Papier de Chine with original colour drawings, 55 (№ 1-50 + 5 H.C.) on Japon Impérial, 65 (№ 51-100 +15 H.C.) on Hollande van Gelder, and 425 (№ 101-500 + 25 H.C.) on vergé paper BFK Rives. This copy is № 48, enriched with Colette a.l.s. and an extra suite of plates. Printed on December 3, 1926, at Arrault et Cie in Tours. Transcript of a.l.s.: "De deux romans (Minne et Les égarements de Minne) qui ne portèrent pas ma signature, j’en ai fait un seul : l’Ingénue libertine. La première partie trouve encore grâce à mes yeux ; je suis plus sévère pour la deuxième et dernière, [mot rayé] superflue et qui sent le travail. Cette libertine aurait bien dû en rester à l’ingénuité. — Colette" Contributors: Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette [a.k.a. Colette] (French, 1873 – 1954) – author. Henry Gauthier-Villars [a.k.a. Willy] (French, 1859 – 1931) – author. Louis Icart (French, 1888 – 1950) – artist.
  • Title-page (turquoise and black): WILLY ET COLETTE WILLY | CLAUDINE | A L'ECOLE | ILLUSTRATIONS DE SUZANNE BALLIVET | ÉDITIONS DU HOUBLON | BRUXELLES || Front wrapper: WILLY ET COLETTE WILLY | {vignette} | ILLUSTRATIONS DE SUZANNE | CLAUDINE | A L'ÉCOLE || Description: French flapped wrappers, 21 x 14.5 cm, lettered front wrapper and spine, in glassine dustcover, paginated [1-8] 9-242 [6], 248 pages total, plus 8 photomechanical reproductions in colour after Suzanne Ballivet. Contributors: Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette [a.k.a. Colette] (French, 1873 – 1954) – author. Henry Gauthier-Villars [a.k.a. Willy] (French, 1859 – 1931) – author. Suzanne Ballivet (French, 1904 – 1985) – artist.
  • Front wrapper and title-page (in red and black): LE COFFRET DU BIBLIOPHILE ILLUSTRE | Pamphlets et Tableaux de mœurs intimes | CORRESPONDANCE | DE | Madame Gourdan | dite La Comtesse | INTRODUCTION ET NOTES PAR J. HERVEZ. | POINTES SÈCHES DE | P.-E. BECAT | {device} | PARIS | BIBLIOTHÈQUE DES CURIEUX | 4, rue de Furstenberg, 4 | Édition réservée aux souscripteurs || Limitation: L'édition illustrée du "Coffret | du bibliophile" est tirée à 750 | exemplaires, sur vergé de Rives, | numérotés de 1 à 750 | № 353 || Limited edition of 750 copies on Rives laid paper, of which this is copy № 353. Collation: fep, 3 blanks, front wrapper, 3 blanks vergé, [2] h.t. / limit., [2] t.p., [5] 6-188, blank, back wrapper, 3 blanks, fep., plus 12 plates, dry-points by P.-É. Bécat, extraneous to collation, incl. frontispiece. Binding: 16 x 10.3 cm, red crushed morocco, gilt lettering to spine, marbled endpapers, printed on laid paper, original wrappers preserved. Contributors: Marguerite Gourdan [Marguerite Alexandrine Ernestine Stock] (French, c. 1730 –1783) – fictional author. Jean Hervez (French, 1864 – ?) – author (preface). Charles Théveneau de Morande (French, 1741 – 1805) – presumable author of the text. Paul-Émile Bécat (French, 1885 – 1960) – artist. Bibliothèque des curieux [Georges & Robert Briffaut], Georges Briffaut (French, 1886 – 1973) – publisher. Previous editions: First published 1783, under the title: "Le portefeuille de Madame Gourdan" in London by Jean Nourse. Bibliothèque des curieux, 1910. Bibliothèque des curieux, 1924.  
  • One of 64 wood engravings by Robert Dill after Joseph Kuhn-Régnier (French, 1873 – 1940), stencil-coloured (au pochoir technique) by Ateliers Jacomet in Paris for the 4-volume edition of Littré’s “Œuvres complètes d'Hippocrate” by Javal & Bourdeaux in 1932-34. The edition was limited to 2,335 numbered copies, 2,000 of them on Vélin teinté du Marais paper., numbered from 336 to 2,335. Contributors: Joseph Kuhn-Régnier (French, 1873 – 1940) – artist. Robert Dill – engraver. Atelier Jacomet (Paris); Daniel Jacomet (French, 1894 – 1966) – printer. Les éditions Javal & Bourdeaux (Paris) – publisher. Émile Littré (French, 1801 – 1881) – translator/ editor. Hippocrates (Greek, c. 460 – c. 370 BC) – author.
  • Description: Quarter red buckram over paper boards with fleur-de-lis diaper, 25.9 x 17.2 cm, gilt lettering to spine, in a cardboard slipcase, bookplate to front pastedown “EX LIBRIS | William Farrell Smith || Title-page: FRANÇOIS MARIE AROUET DE VOLTAIRE | Candide | OR | OPTIMISM | — | Translated from the French by Richard Aldington | With an Introduction by Paul Morand | and twenty illustrations in colour | by Sylvain Sauvage | — | LONDON 1939 | The Nonesuch Press || Pagination: [i-vi] (h.t., frontis., t.p.) vii-xix [xx] [1-2] 3-147 [148], ils. within colation, total 168 pages. Colophon: "This edition of Candide has been composed in Monotype Cochin at the Fanfare Press London to the design of Francis Meynell. It was printed by the Imprimerie Prolat Frères at Mâcon in France on paper especially made at the Rives mills, and the illustrations by Sylvain Sauvage were reproduced by G. Duval and the Imprimerie Beaufumé in Paris". Illustrations: 10 full-page plates and 10 in-text stencil-coloured collotype reproductions by Georges Duval after drawings by Sylvain Sauvage. Contributors: François-Marie Arouet [Voltaire] (French, 1694 – 1778) – author. Richard Aldington (British, 1892 – 1962) – translator. Paul Morand (French, 1888 – 1976) – author (introduction). Sylvain Sauvage [Félix Roy] (French, 1888 – 1948) – artist. Fanfare Press (London) – printer. Francis Meynell (British, 1891 – 1975) – book designer. Imprimerie Protat Frères (Mâcon) – printer. Imprimerie Beaufumé (Paris) – printer (ils.) Georges Duval (active mid-20th century) – printer (ils.) Nonesuch Press – publisher. Provenance: William Farrell Smith (American, 1932 – 2009)